Last Modified: Monday, April 27, 2009 at 9:45 p.m.

One of my neighbors, once a regular there, bent my ear with reasons why she and others are looking elsewhere. While I have no connection to Op House, I am among those who would regret losing it.

The latest to leave is the Opportunity House Weavers, who closed down after members found themselves facing escalating fees. They are largely retired women, some of them widows, surviving on fixed incomes that have more important competing uses.

Fees have doubled in recent years to $45 a month plus the annual $40 Op House membership. The weavers also pay an instructor out of pocket and buy all of their materials.

Opportunity House, known fondly as the Op House, is in a state of budget strangulation because it is limited in raising money to extracting it in fees from donations or those who use the facility. And these seem no longer to be adequate.

It has figured prominently in the cultural life of Hendersonville since it was organized a half century ago by a group of women. In 1961 the weaving room was started by Miss Bessie Jordan, who stayed there to teach for the next 30 years. Some of the current weavers have been there more than 25 years.

The Hendersonville Chorale no longer rehearses at Op House, a sewing group is down to a few women, the gem and mineral group and the woodcarvers are notably missing and the artists, once a thriving group, have reduced their participation.

The hand weavers guild, some 100 strong, recently relocated to Asheville due to the fee increase, a cultural loss to Hendersonville.

Yet Opportunity House remains a thriving site for bridge players. Its card rooms are crowded almost daily. Players pay table fees but get preferential treatment in not being obliged to pay the membership fee. This is one of a number of management decisions that have contributed to the dissatisfaction at Op House. Another was the unexplained decision four years ago to dismiss the volunteers who helped run the facility without cost.

Op House has no regular source of income. It gets no government support despite its value to the community. As costs rise, its only way to meet expenses is increasing fees, recruiting members or getting greater use of the building.

The board has investigated obtaining grants for operations but is hampered by lack of a current audit and by restrictions in most grant programs against funding operations.

There has not been a financial audit of Op House for 12 years despite an audit requirement written into its bylaws. The board says an audit would cost as much as $20,000, which it can’t afford.

The board has told the weavers it looked at all potential sources of income in coming up with this year’s budget and did reduce staff and expenses before setting the fees. The weavers suspect, however, that the board has designs on its space as a large room to “rent” to another group as a revenue source.

In losing the weaving group, Op House has given up one of its signature activities, one that preserves a craft that dates back to when hand weaving was the source of shelter and clothing for early civilizations. The weavers are now engaged in a search for a suitable site in which to continue their work and share their art with children, the next generation of fiber artists.

<p>Activity at Hendersonville’s once-bustling Opportunity House is slowly declining as a number of groups that once met there regularly have pulled out or seen their memberships dwindle.</p><p>One of my neighbors, once a regular there, bent my ear with reasons why she and others are looking elsewhere. While I have no connection to Op House, I am among those who would regret losing it.</p><p>The latest to leave is the Opportunity House Weavers, who closed down after members found themselves facing escalating fees. They are largely retired women, some of them widows, surviving on fixed incomes that have more important competing uses.</p><p>Fees have doubled in recent years to $45 a month plus the annual $40 Op House membership. The weavers also pay an instructor out of pocket and buy all of their materials.</p><p>Opportunity House, known fondly as the Op House, is in a state of budget strangulation because it is limited in raising money to extracting it in fees from donations or those who use the facility. And these seem no longer to be adequate. </p><p>It has figured prominently in the cultural life of Hendersonville since it was organized a half century ago by a group of women. In 1961 the weaving room was started by Miss Bessie Jordan, who stayed there to teach for the next 30 years. Some of the current weavers have been there more than 25 years.</p><p>The Hendersonville Chorale no longer rehearses at Op House, a sewing group is down to a few women, the gem and mineral group and the woodcarvers are notably missing and the artists, once a thriving group, have reduced their participation.</p><p>The hand weavers guild, some 100 strong, recently relocated to Asheville due to the fee increase, a cultural loss to Hendersonville.</p><p>Yet Opportunity House remains a thriving site for bridge players. Its card rooms are crowded almost daily. Players pay table fees but get preferential treatment in not being obliged to pay the membership fee. This is one of a number of management decisions that have contributed to the dissatisfaction at Op House. Another was the unexplained decision four years ago to dismiss the volunteers who helped run the facility without cost.</p><p>Op House has no regular source of income. It gets no government support despite its value to the community. As costs rise, its only way to meet expenses is increasing fees, recruiting members or getting greater use of the building. </p><p>The board has investigated obtaining grants for operations but is hampered by lack of a current audit and by restrictions in most grant programs against funding operations.</p><p>There has not been a financial audit of Op House for 12 years despite an audit requirement written into its bylaws. The board says an audit would cost as much as $20,000, which it can’t afford.</p><p>The board has told the weavers it looked at all potential sources of income in coming up with this year’s budget and did reduce staff and expenses before setting the fees. The weavers suspect, however, that the board has designs on its space as a large room to rent to another group as a revenue source. </p><p>In losing the weaving group, Op House has given up one of its signature activities, one that preserves a craft that dates back to when hand weaving was the source of shelter and clothing for early civilizations. The weavers are now engaged in a search for a suitable site in which to continue their work and share their art with children, the next generation of fiber artists.</p>